WHAT’S THE CAMERA FOR?

Posted by Coach Excellence on January 9, 2025 in Coaching Hints | ∞

Have you turned up at a coaching session and someone has produced a video camera to assist in coaching? The owner of the camera “watches” some of the shooters through the camera and then takes it all back into the clubhouse to play to the crowd. If the camera can be set-up & plugged into the TV a review could happen like this:

The “stars” of the show can see that their shirts needed tucking in or that their shoelace needed tying but they have trouble getting good information from the video.

Was the camera “bouncing about” too much, focussing on the target rather than the shooter or was it that the operator was concentrating on one or two specific shooters only?

Within five minutes of so the “stars” have lost interest for any number of reasons and are looking to have another shoot!

The loss of interest and the retreat could have been caused by:
• Boredom
• Embarrassment; or
• Peer pressure as the pupils were “copping heaps” from the audience watching the replay.
For whatever reason the opportunity for the coach and the pupil is lost.

So what can we do about this??

When a coach is planning to hold a coaching day for either a group or in a one on one, and it is intended to utilise a video camera to assist, then the following guidelines may be of assistance.

Preparation

If possible the coach should not operate the camera, as his/her time will be better spent supporting and guiding the pupils.

The coach should ensure the camera operator is fully conversant with the operations of the camera, and that does not mean learning while videoing the first session.

A good camera operator will enhance the end result providing they know what to look for. To this end the coach should ensure the camera operator is aware of the coach’s requirements. This may require the coach to “script” the operator (eg: I want the shooter to see firstly how they stand on each lane then secondly whether they lift their heads while shooting!)

The use of a tripod or “brace” is encouraged to reduce unwanted camera jitters.

Make sure the camera arrives with fully charged batteries and the relevant leads for replay and review operations.

Have a plan, if time permits start the video process with footage of the coach or a respected shooter, actually shooting on the day, if you like, include some specific faults. The coach can use this footage in an initial review process to highlight the benefits of the use of the video and introduce the pupils to the review & comment process.

Location

The coach should ensure the camera and its operator is located in a position of safety where they will be able to capture the required shots.

Capturing the shooting
Following on from the coaches requirements above:

I would expect to see a full-length shot of the shooter to start, zooming SLOWLY onto the feet on the shooting area, and then rising into an upper body shot to capture any movement of the head on the rifle as it is fired. (if that was the intended camera area required)

When shooting the video, fill the viewfinder as much as possible with each pupil- there is no point looking for head movement on the firearm or a movement related “trigger flick” problem when the “star” is only a blip in the middle of the screen.

To identify & solve a particular problem ensure the operator captures the event in sufficient detail, (and for a sufficient number of trials) for the coach to be able to use the footage to advantage without having to “visualise” the event on the TV during review.

When working with a squad of shooters, consider only capturing each shooter as they shoot from a particular lane. Ensure every pupil has an equal opportunity to be “captured” on film. This will not only reduce excessive camera movement but it will also reduce repetition and the period of time taken to review the squad’s footage.

If you are coaching “one on one” – keep the recordings from session to session to rate the improvement in style or the mastering of a problem, so ensure you have sufficient video space.

Review

One of the best machines for effective replay is the video camera with its own projector – like this one from Sony. Shoot the film and immediately review on any plain surface.

It is very important to control the review process as individuals may become quite embarrassed having an audience watch them do silly things:

Limit the initial reviewing audience to the squad of shooters or the individual (if one on one) plus the coach.

Attempt to rotate the pupils from the shooting lanes to the TV as soon as possible after the videoed event while the round is fresh in their minds.

Allow the pupil to firstly comment on their own technique then have others in the squad comment on each others style (if appropriate) before the coach offers assistance.

Remember to respect the feelings of the pupils, be supportive, guide, and reassure as a rough handed report on their style/capability may well loose them from the sport.

If you are able to offer repeat sessions on the day then concentrate on the specific concern until it is mastered, resist the temptation to jump around each time picking up other variations as this will confuse the pupil and devalue the result.

Conclusions
A coach should always reflect on the positive outcome of a video session, as the camera does not lie you will see “we are not all perfect” reaffirm that fact and the benefits of video footage being such a strong reinforcement – “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Thanks to Colin Witt QLD for content in this article